Entertainment

NFL Star's Dad Sues After Viral Runaway Golf Cart Video

Sports fan or not, you've definitely seen the viral video by now. You know the one. It immediately became the stuff of Internet legend in December 2011.

Following a state championship football game in Texas, a driverless golf cart goes rogue and races across the field of Cowboy Stadium. It takes out several bystanders, carrying one for 20 yards until some brave soul finally jumps aboard and removes an endzone pylon holding down the cart's gas pedal.

The video's been viewed well over a million times since, but here it is again for your review:

Part of the reason the video became so popular was that, aside from a few folks who were pretty shaken up, no one appeared to get seriously hurt by the runaway golf cart.

Until now, that is — 16 months later.

Alfred "Willie" Mendola is the guy who got scooped up and carried those 20 yards before finally bailing. He and his wife filed suit against Cowboy Stadium this week, seeking more than $1 million in damages.

Amendola is currently assistant athletic director for the Spring Independent School District in Texas, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Back at the time of the runaway golf cart, he was coaching one of the teams in the game. He's also, as it happens, the father of New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola (pictured at the top of this post).

The elder Amendola's suit claims that he suffered "serious bodily injuries" in the incident. It also notes that "Coach Amendola heroically had the presence of mind to direct the cart, which he briefly controlled, in such a manner that it avoided striking the head or bodies of numerous others who had fallen."

But here's the real kicker: If the video hadn't gone so viral, it seems Amendola may not be suing at all. The suit states that the widespread video clips that circulated largely online inflicted upon Amendola "great personal embarrassment and mental anguish, in addition to his considerable physical injuries."

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